Interiors

Cottage Kitchen Counter

by Prairie Bench0

A kitchen cabinet we did for a rustic country cottage with some onsite pine stock. The entire assembly can be detached from the wall using six screws. Finished in butcher block and poly surrounding the sink. Sink is top mounted, siliconed, and strapped. Tile is sandstone and mixed pencil tile. The counter frame is spruce with laminated pine and spruce on the top. Doors are pine and spruce framed, finished in polyurethane. Handles are natural pieces of mountain ash. Total cost of materials including taps, $150. The stool was a fun extra because we were designing chairs for another project: spruce, a dark stain mix on the legs, finished in poly and topped with a waterproof satin finish.

Reclaimed Fir Hairpin Coffee Table and Footstool

by Prairie Bench1

A few years back, we received several fir floorboards recovered from demolition at the Riverview Hospital site. The institution was constructed around 1913 and the boards looked worn, scratched, and were full of old square head nails. The tongue and groove planks were in different thicknesses, but we were able to pair up some matching sizes.

In order to focus on the floorboards, we tried several table designs including wood frames and legs. In the end, we settled on steel hairpin legs from Rusty Garden (on Amazon) in 2 sizes: 12″ and 16″. The footstool would fit underneath the coffee table. Minimal sanding of the boards removed any burrs or slivers. A mix of 30% thinner plus 70% polyurethane was used to seal the wood in a thin layer without gloss, giving it a light sheen and a handworn look. The fitted boards were glued with PL polyurethane.

The sizes are: table, 40″x 20″x 18″tall; footstool, 22″x14″x14″tall.

Numbered 06-06-19 as a set. Check back, we have used the ends of the reclaimed boards from this project to make a small end table … reclaimed-reclaimed wood!

Ragged Edge Cedar Counter

by Prairie Bench0

The ragged edge cedar counter was a project to use up some leftover barn wood found in an old shed. The slats are trimmed to approx. 5″ wide. Then the boards were glued and clamped together side by side, while staggering the length of each. Then the end of the glued material was trimmed at 45° and glued to form a square edge. The matching wood grain aligns to give the appearance of wood folded to make a counter.

Clamping was a trick and several spring clamps were used to maintain an even line at the join. Vertical slat cedar with angle supports complete the farm look. No nails or screws are used. The piece is unfinshed, with only a light sand to remove slivers.

The ragged edge cedar counter is unnumbered and designed as an experiment to highlight the rustic appeal of an old fence or barn wall, knot holes included.

Live Edge Picture Frames

by Prairie Bench0

A fun project using left over mill planks that were left with live edges… rough cuts.

The large one is hemlock and approx. 48″x24″. The interior image area is considerably smaller, approx. 12″x36″. A simple wide sketch might be appropriate, maybe using parts of the frame as elements of the picture. We were thinking a western motiff, perhaps a rider on a horse overlooking a vista on the high plains.

The smaller frame is cedar and aged. No finish is used. The size is approx. 36″x 18″. A light sanding with 80 grit removed any slivers. It is tricky to find usable 45° angles to join the sides of the frame. Little cuts are made until matching edges line up. The frames are both glued with PL, a construction grade adhesive.

Both frames are not numbered and created as an experiment. We’ll post an update when we find appropriate pictures to use in the frames.

Wall Mounted Cedar Jewelry Case

by Prairie Bench0
This is a simple cedar slat box with a pine frame, cut in two, hinged, and mounted with two steel L-brackets. The L-brackets are mounted to a wall stud above and below the case. A small hole is drilled through the top and bottom of the case and two steel removeable pins secure the case to the brackets. Pull the pins and the case can be taken down and displayed on a flat surface.
The style is to be old farmhouse. All the surfaces are sanded smooth and there is no finish. The case will age and darken over time naturally. A simple gate latch holds the door.
Pegs were plotted on a pencil graph using a square. Two more cedar slats create a couple shelves. A detachable ring case rests inside. The dimensions are 63×24 cm (25″x 11″) and 17cm (6.75″) deep when closed.
Plumbing o-rings fit perfectly on 1/2″ dowel as a stop. The cedar slats are only 1/4″ thick so the 1.5″ pegs are cut at a 5° slope and glued in place. This keeps necklaces against the backboard.
The ring case uses 3/8″ dowels cut square and glued in place. A recycled picture stand is glued to the back and folds flat to tuck in a slat on the larger case.
The cedar is dry but still quite light in tone. Over the years the unfinished wood will age and start looking like a barn door. This piece is unnumbered and created as a fun test.